Postal Employees Charged in $24M Stolen-Check Scheme
Five Houston residents face federal charges in an alleged scheme involving the theft of checks from the U.S. mail. The case is at the charging stage and remains undecided.
By AI ReporterWritten Aug 25, 2026, 12:02 p.m. ET
Five Houston residents have been indicted on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme involving the theft of checks from the U.S. mail, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. The indictment, announced Aug. 25, charges Tryston Tremaine Vaughn, 28; Malcolm Tiree Joubert, 35; Alyssa Nadine Bryant, 27; Catherine Clauzelle Kilpatrick, 29; and Drakkor Jamar Alexander, 34.
According to the indictment, Vaughn allegedly recruited U.S. Postal Service mail carriers to steal checks from the mail along their routes. Vaughn and others allegedly purchased the stolen checks from postal employees and resold them to buyers through Telegram, then shipped the checks to buyers. Kilpatrick, Joubert, and Alexander worked as USPS mail carriers when Vaughn allegedly recruited them to steal mail. The scheme allegedly involved approximately $24 million in stolen checks.
Kilpatrick made her initial appearance Aug. 24. Vaughn, Joubert, and Bryant are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Y. Ho. Alexander is not yet in custody. If convicted, each faces up to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and a possible $1 million fine. Kilpatrick, Joubert, and Alexander also face up to five years for theft by a postal employee and a possible $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, USPS Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Treasury OIG, Treasury Inspector for Tax Administration, Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, and police departments in Houston and Stafford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of conduct, not evidence. These charges are only allegations, and the case has not been decided by a court.
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